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Zanti, Sol de Valencia

Featured Article

If You Eat One Thing

Sol de Valencia features housemade orange sorbet nestled inside a hand-hollowed Valencia orange, offering a refreshing dessert perfect for summer.

Article by Gabi De la Rosa

Photography by Photo courtesy of Zanti Cucina Italiana

Originally published in Memorial Lifestyle

Nothing says summer quite like the crisp, flavorful taste of chilled citrus. It cools and delights on a warm Houston day and is the ideal way to end a meal. At Zanti Cucina Italiana, founder Santiago Peláez has taken the taste of summer and put it into a stunning and delicious citrus dessert. Sol de Valencia, available for brunch, lunch, and dinner through August, is a citrus-forward dish that highlights simplicity and seasonal flavor. Peláez walks us through how the dish comes together. zanticucina.com

The Orange

Peláez chose Valencia orange for this dish for a variety of reasons. "It has a balanced sweetness and acidity, high juice content, low pulp and seed ratio, and a delicate floral aroma," he says. 

The orange is washed, disinfected, and brought to room temperature. Then, it's cut open and hollowed by hand using a traditional artisanal technique. "We remove the pulp gently with a Parisian spoon," Peláez explains. "That keeps the peel intact so it can be frozen and used as a natural, aromatic serving vessel."

The Sorbet

The orange sorbet is made in-house. Juice is manually extracted to avoid bitterness from the peel's oils. "We blend the juice with organic sugar and a natural stabilizer to preserve flavor and texture," Peláez says. "The sorbet features natural floral notes and a balanced citrus character. The recipe's simplicity allows the orange's aromatic qualities to shine."

The Liqueur

On the side, guests can add a chilled shot of Jalisco Orange Liqueur, which is meant to be sipped. "It intensifies the orange aroma and adds warmth and complexity to the sorbet experience," says Peláez.